Studdable Winter Tire

Would you like to drive your 2005-2011 Porsche 911 (997 Chassis) twelve months a year? Well, why not invest in a set of dedicated snow tires and do it.

In order to gain a better understanding of the different types of winter / snow tires, read, "Which Snow Tire: Studless Ice and Snow, Studdable Winter / Snow or Performance Winter / Snow?" You'll find that most 911 drivers are best served with Performance Winter / Snow tires, as tires in this category help preserve the handling for this particular application.

Snow Tire Sizes

Once you've decide on which type of snow tire you would like, your next step is to pick a proper size. Most 911 drivers want to be able to drive their car as much as possible in the winter. The car's ground clearance will limit use, therefore there's little benefit to running skinnier winter tires. So if your 911 came with 235/35-19 front and 295/30-19 rear, you should continue to use these sizes. 

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Each wheel has a valve stem-mounted TPMS sensor that you can run with or without for winter driving. If you decide to run without the TPMS sensors, you'll see a warning light, but there are no functional issues associated with the light. When you reinstall your summer wheels, the TPMS will work as normal once you've activated the sensors by driving your car. And if you're in need of O.E. TPMS sensors, we have them available for $110* each. For a better understanding on using TPMS sensors, read "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Servicing."

The Best Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package

The ideal Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package for most 911 drivers is 235/35-19 Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D front tires and 295/30-19 rear tires on 19x8.5" Sport Edition Cup 4 wheels on the front and 19x11" Sport Edition Cup 4 wheels on the rear at $2,526.00* plus shipping. The wheels will use the original lug bolts and original Porsche center caps.

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Sport Edition Cup

The 350Z is an awesome car for precise street driving and on the track, but not very good in the snow. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of snow tire options to greatly improve the vehicle's winter driving performance.

Visit the winter section of our Upgrade Garage and easily switch between product categories to see a complete fitment guide for your vehicle. You can also create Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Packages that come with all necessary hardware such as lugs, center caps ,centering rings, etc. that will allow you to switch between your different Tire & Wheel Packages (race, snow, street). To gain a better understanding of which snow tire will work best for your vehicle, read "Which Snow Tire: Studless Ice and Snow, Studdable Winter / Snow or Performance Winter / Snow?

Given the vehicle's light weight and rear-wheel drive dynamics, I would recommend a Studless Ice and Snow tire. One of the best Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Packages for a 2005 Nissan 350Z would be the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 in 225/50-17 front tires and 225/55-17 for the rear on 17x8" Sport Edition KV5 wheels. 
 

Michelin X-Ice Xi2

Sport Edition KV5

225/55-17 rear sizing allows the driver to maintain a larger diameter in the rear so the traction control works properly. I like the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tire because it is designed to tackle some of the coldest winter driving conditions and the 225/55-17 is a low rolling resistance tire that confirms the tire's contribution to reducing vehicle fuel consumption and emissions of CO2 gases. The look of the tire with the Sport Edition KV5's painted silver finish sealed with a clear coat makes for a great winter combination. Sport Edition rims combine quality, style and price to offer an exceptional value. For more information on this environmentally friendly tire, read "Michelin Green X."

When installing wheels on the 350Z you may notice a steel pin protruding from the front hub mounting surface. This pin is designed to prevent erroneous rotation of the tires. You must remove it with a 12mm wrench so your new wheels will fit flush against the hub.

• Bridgestone Blizzak WS70
• Michelin X-Ice Xi2
• Dunlop Graspic DS-3

• General Altimax Arctic
• Firestone Winterforce
  

• Dunlop Wintersport 3D
• Pirelli 210 Sottozero
• Pirelli 210 Sottozero Serie 2
• Pirelli 240 Sottozero
• Pirelli 240 Sottozero Serie 2
• Michelin Alpin PA3
• Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3
• Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60

Yes, the General AltiMAX Arctic is another excellent Studdable Winter / Snow tire. Priced to sell, this winter tire, in my book, is gradually moving up the winter tire ranks for passenger vehicles, sport sedans, vans and sport utility vehicles.

General decided to raise the traction bar on these studdable winter tires and have created a very winter weather-flexible tread compound to keep those steep driveway drivers on the road and moving forward. For those drivers who need even more winter traction, these winter tires can accept metal studs.

• Best if you live in an area that does not receive much snow and ice or where the roads are usually plowed
• Will allow you to preserve a lot of the handling you had with your performance tires
• Will not perform as well as Studless Ice and Snow or Studdable Winter / Snow tires in harsh conditions

• Provide the best snow and ice traction
• Handling won't be as responsive as a performance or all-season tire
• Can sometimes be louder than other tires 

The General AltiMAX Arctic continues to be a solid leader in the Studdable Winter / Snow tire category. The tire offers exceptional winter traction at a reasonable price.

• Studdable Winter / Snow: Check with your state laws to determine if studs are allowed on your streets. When studded, you'll get even more traction on the ice and snow but they may be a little noisier than you're used to.
• Studless Ice and Snow: Incorporate the latest winter tire technology and provide grip similar to a studded tire but with a smoother and quieter ride. These tires are suggested for rural environments with lots of snow or snow-packed roads.
• Performance Winter / Snow Tires: Offer dry and wet road traction and handling, while maintaining performance driving characteristics in inclement weather.

• Tube Multicell tread compound featuring microscopic pores and circumferential microchannels to reduce the layer of thin water generated when driving on snow and ice
• Deep tread block tread pattern with zigzag sipes to provide maximum bitting edges and enhance winter traction with out the use of winter studs

• An economical option featuring deep tread blocks molded into a directional tread pattern
• Optional TSMI #15 blue-colored metallic winter studs can be installed for $15 per tire

• Firestone Winterforce for passenger vehicles
• Firestone Winterforce UV for sport utility vehicles
• Firestone Winterforce LT for light trucks
• General AltiMAX Arctic
• Pirelli Winter Carving
• Pirelli Winter Carving Edge

• Currently ranks 1st in tire testing and consumer survey results within the Studdable Winter / Snow tire category
• All-WeatherDual Tread compound enhances cold weather flexibility and wet traction
• Directional tread pattern improves hydroplaning resistance on wet and slush-covered roads with 270 degrees of high density siping across the face of the tire to enhance snow traction
   

• Ranked 3rd in our testing, but still a good economical winter tire
• Designed with a directional tread pattern incorporating stepped tread blocks that are siped offering bitting edges to improve snow traction

When it comes to winter tires there are three types on the market. Studless Ice and Snow tires provide the best traction on ice and in packed snow conditions without the need for tire studs, while Performance Winter / Snow tires have the correct tread design, tread compound and tread depth to suit less severe winter conditions. Finally, there are the Studdable Winter / Snow tires that are designed to provide winter traction using traditional studdable tread designs and winter compounds for good snow and ice traction. Studded winter tires are not legal in all states and those states where they are legal typically have time frames when they can be on the roadway.

All winter tires will provide the best traction and vehicle stability when installed in sets of four on your vehicle.

When choosing what category of snow tire best meets your needs, consider the following.

How much snow and ice do you see on average during a winter season?

If your roads are generally clear and mostly dry, then you might be able to get away with a Performance Winter / Snow tire as opposed to the studdless variety, thus providing you with less noise, better tread life and greater sidewall stability.

Would you prefer to have the best winter traction, just in case the weather is worse than anticipated or to stay safe when traveling in your area?

The traffic in some areas is so congested that it is hard to predict when you are going to need to have the highest grip level to avoid sliding into someone when avoiding an accident even though there may not be much snow and ice on the roadway.

Whatever your needs may be, Tire Rack has snow tires to keep you safe and get you through even the worst weather conditions.